First, there's the embrace of the restaurant's cozy personality -- a perfect match for the sophisticated yet comfortable background. Then there's the nifty little menu. One with the eclectic nerve to include roast duckling in a dazzling merlot and port wine sauce on the same page with chicken fried chicken in cream gravy. Add in always top-notch service, the special warm fuzzies you get from dining in a caring, well-run restaurant, a wine list decorated with the Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence for the last three years running, and it's hard not to fall in love.

Aesthetically, the restaurant wears walls of hand-painted theatrical canvas for an upholstered, cushy quality you may not notice unless you reach out for a touch. The idea, meant for sound proofing, adds to the restaurant's intimate qualities, along with glass over linen tables set with candles and a perfect fresh rose.

You can thank hands-on owners Chuck Smith and executive chef Carlos Fernandez for a respite that also incorporates a carefully selected wine list. (Varietals in each category are rated from lightest to heartiest and include meal pairing suggestions.)

Start with fanciful forays into creamy classic vichyssoise ($5), a lovely Belgian endive salad with blue cheese, chopped pecans and champagne vinaigrette ($6.50), traditional Caesar ($4.95), or arugula salad ($6.50), a dish I like for taste and presentation. The artful arrangement combines pristine arugula, diced tomatoes, crisp bacon pieces and complementing bacon vinaigrette with enough smokiness to stand up to the peppery arugula. The caprese ($6.95) is a breath of fresh air in the ubiquitous sea of tomato/mozzarella salads. This one is easy to eat -- grape tomatoes, small orbs of creamy fresh mozzarella with fresh basil and a jewel of a balsamic glaze that's inspiration to go for every last drop.

One appetizer I never pass up is Southern scallops ($8.25). The pairing matches bay scallops and corn en casserole with crushed pecans -- baked until the scallops and corn merge into blissful creaminess and the pecans are pleasingly crunchy. Ditto on tenderloin tips ($7.95) -- grilled beef tenderloin skewered with seedless cucumbers to dip into yummy peanut/tamarind sauce. I also recommend Cajun kisses ($9.50), but only if you're into the heat of whole jalapenos stuffed with shrimp, parmesan, white cheddar and monterey jack. Each pepper is wrapped in applewood smoked bacon, grilled until the bacon crisps and the cheese oozes.

Don't miss delectable pork osso bucco ($25.95), a large shank gently braised with tomatoes and herbs, served over satiny mashed potatoes with steamed fresh green beans. It's relatively simple, but absolutely delicious. So is chicken fried chicken ($13.95), adapted from a Southern tradition. The batter-enrobed boneless breast gets the kitchen's close attention while frying for a payoff of juicy poultry and golden hued batter. The cream gravy is smooth and light -- nothing like those thick lumpy ones you may have stored in your memory bank.

Another uncommon offering is melt-in-your-mouth boneless braised short ribs ($20.95). It's cooked in a red wine reduction that permeates the meat with fabulous flavor. It's served with mashed potatoes and dreamy honey-lavender baby carrots. Is that comfort food or what?

If you're wondering about the nod to Southern cooking, just trace Chuck Smith's roots back to his native Texas. Order one of the outstanding desserts and you're actually ordering cherished family recipes. There's orange coconut pie outfitted with a divinely flaky crust; lush chocolate derby pecan pie and a chocolatey-rich yet light as goose down Coca-Cola cake ($5 each).

From start to finish, this big-hearted bistro has across the board charismatic qualities that rank it one of my favorite spots in the city.

Please phone in advance to confirm information on hours, prices, menu items and facilities. For review consideration, please fax a current menu that includes name and address of restaurant to 954-356-4386 or send to Sun-Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-2293.
If you would like to contact dining correspondent Judith Stocks, e-mail her at judithstocksreviews@yahoo .com or write to her in care of the Sun-Sentinel.